Fundraising officer jobs in Sheffield, south yorkshire

Help us to grow our Environmental Education Charity’s impact and income by fundraising, allowing us to deliver our mission to create outstanding opportunities that inspire everyone to engage with and care for the environment. 
 

• The base location for this position is negotiable, with full remote working / home working a possibility.
• It’s a permanent full-time contract working an average 37.5 hours per week.
• Circa £30,197 per annum + excellent benefits – including 28 days leave + bank holidays, life assurance 5 x your salary, Health and Wellbeing Support and much more! See the full list below.
   

Love where you work!

We are a national charity established in 1943 to promote a better understanding of the natural world. 

Our aim today is unchanged – to create a world where everyone feels connected to the environment so they can enjoy the benefits it gives and make choices that help protect it. We do this by offering a wide range of education courses and materials, so that everyone – and especially young people – can increase their knowledge, understanding and love for the natural world.

We value each of our team members and understand that every role is vital to achieve our goals, so, we provide great benefits* to reward and support you while you work with us.

What you’ll be doing

Your focus will be to grow our charity’s impact and revenue streams by fundraising for environmental education, benefitting people and nature by securing funds from supporters, trusts/foundations, and businesses.

This will include building relationships with potential legators, inspiring supporters to maintain their commitment, eventually leaving the Field Studies Council a gift in their Will as well as turning strategic and operational priorities into practical funding bids.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Researching and identifying potential trusts/foundations/businesses as suitable external funders for designated target projects
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to draft fundraising bids, developing persuasive proposals and collating appropriate supporting documentation.
• Proactively develop positive, long-term relationships that grow Field Studies Council’s pipeline of prospects
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant governmental, sector and business opportunities to identify potential funding opportunities
• Fundraising administration including gift processing, donor thanking and stewardship
• Supporting at events and funding meetings, as required

Please refer to the vacancy pack for the full responsibilities of the position.

Where you’ll be based

The base location for this position is negotiable, with full remote working / home working a possibility. However, if you prefer working in office, we have Field Studies Centres throughout the country which you are also able to work from. We will also consider hybrid working options.

There may the occasional need to travel to meet with, colleagues, prospective funders and other stakeholders. We expect this to be limited, no more than once every 2-3 months.
 

Who we’re looking for

You will be passionate about our charity’s mission and understand the importance of Environmental Education.

It’s essential that you have experience working in a fundraising role or department. We need an experienced individual who is confident to write and submit successful fundraising bids to trusts, foundations and businesses.

You will also have experience creating and managing successful supporter journeys to optimise our donations, particularly legators.

As a natural at building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, you will be able to tell compelling stories to encourage individuals and organisations to support our aim to connect people to nature.

If this inspires you, we would love to hear from you.We look forward to your application.

* Your benefits whilst working with us will include:

• Competitive salary 
• 28 days annual holiday entitlement plus bank holidays 
• Extra loyalty days dependent on length of service 
• Health and Wellbeing Support App which provides access for you and eligible family members to remote GP appointments, mental health consultations, physiotherapy and second medical opinions
• 24hr Counselling Helpline Service 
• Life assurance 5 x your annual basic salary
• Cycle to work and EV schemes
• Discounts and cashback opportunities
• Flexible working options where roles permit
• Quality learning and development opportunities 

The closing date for receipt of your completed application is 4 January 2026.
 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we’re in receipt of sufficient applications. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted after the close date and interviews will be arranged accordingly

Overview

The Campaigns and Alumni Relations Office (CAR) at the University of Sheffield is dedicated to inspiring alumni (former students) and supporters to make philanthropic gifts, as well as giving their time and expertise. A donation to the University of Sheffield can change lives, from supporting students in financial need to furthering world-leading research.

As part of the Individual Giving team in CAR, this role encourages people to make gifts of up to £10,000 using a data-driven approach and a range of communication and fundraising channels. The Fundraising Officer will also coordinate our community fundraising and in-memory programme to typically raise over £150,000 per year, as well as project managing direct mail, digital appeals and stewardship communications.

Acting as an advocate for philanthropy, you’ll support and motivate volunteer fundraisers and play a significant role in delivering the University’s flagship fundraising event, the Big Walk. You’ll also support the team to deliver fundraising and donor impact communications using a range of channels (email, print, web and video). On an ad-hoc basis you’ll manage our team of scholarship ambassadors to help engage donors, this may include coordinating small telephone fundraising sessions. 

This role would suit someone who excels at managing relationships and is confident interacting with donors and fundraisers on a daily basis. The successful candidate will also be a skilled project manager and communicator, able to juggle multiple tasks and think creatively to overcome problems.

Main duties and responsibilities

● Plan and deliver key fundraising projects using a range of channels (email, direct mail, events) to make direct asks for support through gifts and community fundraising.

● Ensure that all supporters have an exceptional experience and coordinate activities that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy in a meaningful and personal way to retain all donors.

● Support the wider team with elements of larger, multi-channel appeals. This will include building relationships with beneficiaries, suppliers, copywriting, using our mass email platform and manipulating data to personalise appeals. 

● Deliver community fundraising activities primarily the Big Walk, supported by the Individual Giving Manager and the Communications & Events team.

● Manage relationships with long-standing community fundraisers, as well as supporting ad-hoc fundraisers to maximise donations, showcase the University’s work and raise awareness of philanthropy. Proactively identify opportunities to build the supporter community and increase participation in fundraising.

● Manage relationships with corporate partners capable of sponsoring or participating in our fundraising activities, such as the Big Walk.

● Work with the team of scholarship ambassadors (students who have benefitted from donations) to gather and create content that tells their stories and demonstrates impact to donors.

● Oversee the day-to-day operations of ad-hoc telephone fundraising sessions. Including training and motivating the students, enabling them to make direct asks.

● Coordinate the fundraising team’s shared inbox and phone line, including delegating to other members of the team. Act as a key point of contact for donor and fundraiser enquiries, ensuring each supporter receives the highest level of customer service and

● Ensure that accurate records are maintained on the CRM database, Raiser's Edge and use JustGiving to optimise fundraising. Work with large datasets to personalise appeals and communication approaches, working to a data processing brief.

● Ensure fundraising activity fulfils its regulatory and statutory obligations (GDPR and Fundraising Regulator Code of Conduct) and its obligations for the health and safety of fundraisers and event participants.

● Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

*This role will involve some flexible working for telephone appeals and events, outside of core hours - time off in lieu will be granted.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

● Experience in fundraising, volunteer management, marketing or a relationship focused role (assessed at application / interview)

● Experience building and managing supporter or customer relationships with integrity and sensitivity (assessed at application / interview)

● Experience delivering communications or marketing projects to different audiences across a range of channels including print and email (assessed at application / interview / selection task)

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make direct asks for support through written communications (assessed at application / interview / selection task)

● Experience of working collaboratively and flexibly, as part of a team, and with colleagues from across teams and the wider organisation (assessed at application / interview)

● Ability to deliver an outstanding supporter experience whilst acting as a passionate ambassador for the University (assessed at application / interview)

● Ability to manage and progress multiple projects across a busy and varied workload, including producing and working to clear briefs, project plans and deadlines (assessed at application / interview)

● Understanding of the principles of fundraising and a genuine belief in the transformative power of philanthropy in Higher Education (assessed at application / interview)

● A creative approach to problem solving with the ability to react and work flexibly in a fast-paced and dynamic environment (assessed at application / interview)

Desirable criteria

● Ability to manage and motivate individuals, volunteers and/or a team to achieve targets (assessed at application / interview)

● Experience of Raiser’s Edge database or equivalent CRM database and a high level of attention to detail when it comes to working with data (assessed at application / interview)

Further Information

Grade: 6

Salary: £32,080 - £36,636 per annum

Work arrangement: Full-time - flexible arrangements considered

Duration: 12-month contract, starting January or February 2026

Line manager: Head of Individual Giving

Job Title: Fundraising and Communications Officer

Department: Membership and Development

Reports To: Membership Manager

Location: UK Based

Compensation: £32,500 per annum

About Humanists International:

Humanists International is the global representative body of the humanist movement, uniting a diverse range of non-religious individuals and organizations committed to reason, compassion, and human rights. We work to build and strengthen the humanist movement worldwide, advocate for secularism and human rights, and promote humanist values in public life.

Job Purpose:

The Fundraising and Communications Officer is a vital member of the Membership and Development team, responsible for engaging and communicating with Humanists International's members and the wider public, with a strong focus on fundraising. This role involves developing and implementing communication and fundraising strategies, managing social media channels, creating compelling content, and utilizing AI tools to optimize outreach and fundraising effectiveness, particularly in engaging standard value supporters.

Key Responsibilities:

Fundraising and Development:

• Develop and implement fundraising plans and campaigns, with a focus on strategies to engage and cultivate standard value supporters, including managing Direct Mail appeals to US Donors

• Create compelling content for fundraising appeals, ensuring alignment with Humanists International's values and mission.

• Analyze fundraising data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement, using AI-driven analytics where appropriate to understand standard value supporter behavior.

• Implement strategies to cultivate and steward relationships with donors, with a focus on upgrading standard value supporters, including supporting the In-person VIP Donor Reception

Membership Communications:

• Manage all membership-related communications, including the monthly newsletter, ensuring content is engaging, informative, and promotes fundraising opportunities to standard value supporters.

• Establish and maintain a strong online presence through existing social media accounts (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), with an expectation of minimum 2-3 posts per week.

• Develop and implement social media strategies to increase engagement and reach, with targeted campaigns for standard value supporters.

• Actively manage Acquisition Social Media (General), including the creation and management of Adverts on Social Media (Facebook & Instagram) and Google Ads.

• Respond to inquiries and engage with members online, fostering a sense of community among standard value supporters.

• Utilize AI tools to schedule posts, analyze social media performance, and identify target audiences within the standard value supporter segment for fundraising.

Campaigns:

• Invest time and effort in relaunching the "End Blasphemy Laws" campaign, developing engaging content and promoting it across various channels to maximize fundraising and awareness, with specific strategies for standard value supporters.

• Support other campaigns led by Humanists International, contributing to their communication strategies and execution, with a focus on integrating fundraising elements and engaging standard value supporters, including the development and promotion of Petitions (via CiviCRM).

• Support communications for Driving Event Registrations (e.g., World Humanist Congress).

Content Creation and Publication:

• Produce high-quality written and visual content for various platforms, including the website, social media, newsletters, fundraising appeals, and reports, tailored to appeal to standard value supporters. This includes developing Video and Multimedia Content.

• Support the Chief Executive in writing the annual report, ensuring it effectively communicates the organization's achievements and impact to all supporters.

• Lead the launch and ongoing production of a New Humanists International Podcast, and coordinate getting Personnel as Guests on other Podcasts.

• Use AI tools to assist in content creation, including generating initial drafts, optimizing content for different platforms, and ensuring consistency in tone and style, particularly for communications targeting standard value supporters.

Collaboration and Support:

• Work closely with the Advocacy and Membership Development teams to ensure consistent messaging and effective communication of Humanists International's work, with a focus on integrating fundraising into all communications with standard value supporters.

• Provide communications support to Young Humanists International, assisting with their campaigns and initiatives.

Planning and Strategy:

• Work with the Chief Executive Officer to develop a comprehensive annual communications and fundraising plan that aligns with the organization's strategic goals, with specific strategies for standard value supporters.

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communication activities and make recommendations for improvement, using data and AI-driven analytics to assess engagement and fundraising outcomes among standard value supporters.

Person Specification:

Essential:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences, including standard value supporters.

• Strong understanding of social media platforms and best practices, with experience in using social media for fundraising.

• Experience in creating engaging content for online and offline channels, including fundraising appeals.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Strong organizational and time management skills.

• Commitment to the values of Humanists International.

• Demonstrable experience and comfort using AI tools for content creation, social media management, or data analysis, with a focus on fundraising applications.

Desirable:

• Experience in campaign development and execution, with a focus on fundraising campaigns targeting specific donor segments.

• Graphic design skills and experience with design or video editing softwares.

• Knowledge of website content management systems.

• Familiarity with the international human rights landscape.

Community Fundraising Officer

Location: Remote (UK-based)
Hours: 30 hours per week, fully flexible
Salary: £27,000 FTE (pro-rata for 30 hours)
Contract: 1-year Fixed Term Contract (with possibility of extension subject to performance)

About Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP)

Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP) is a specialist animal protection organisation that investigates, disrupts, protects and rescues animals from organised animal cruelty.

We work through intelligence-led investigations and partnerships with law enforcement across the globe. Our work is unapologetically justice-led, outcomes-focused, and impact-driven.

AWIP is a remote-first, flexible organisation. We prioritise autonomy, trust, and clarity.

Values alignment

AWIP is a close-knit, mission-driven team working to end organised animal cruelty.

Because of the nature of our work, we are particularly interested in candidates whose personal values strongly align with animal protection. A cruelty-free lifestyle (such as veganism or vegetarianism) is therefore preferred, though we welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to protecting animals and is aligned with our mission.

About the role

We are seeking a Community Fundraising Officer to lead and deliver a small number of high-impact virtual fundraising challenges and supporter-led events each year.

This role exists to generate lumpy, time-bound income spikes through well-executed campaigns.

This is a delivery-focused, commercially minded position suited to someone who is comfortable working with data, managing budgets, and being accountable for results.

Key responsibilities

Virtual fundraising challenges (core responsibility):

• Designing and delivering 3–4 virtual fundraising challenges per year.
• Managing each challenge end-to-end, including campaign concept and structure, participant onboarding and journey, fundraising targets, timelines, delivery, and wrap-up.
• Running private Facebook Groups or similar community spaces during live challenge periods.
• Managing paid incentives and paid social advertising budgets.
• Ensuring challenges are repeatable, scalable, and cost-effective.

Supporter-led and external events

• Coordinating and promoting participation in:
• Run for Charity events
• Overseas challenge events (e.g. treks)
• Peer-to-peer fundraising (e.g. birthday fundraisers or evergreen P2P)
• Acting as the main point of contact for supporters taking part
• Providing clear guidance, materials, and support while keeping delivery light-touch

Income, data & performance

• Owning net income targets for each campaign
• Monitoring and analysing campaign performance
• Tracking: Spend, Cost per lead, Activation rates, Funds raised.
• Reporting clearly on outcomes, learning, and recommendations
• Continuously refining formats to improve performance year-on-year

About you

You will bring:

• Experience in community fundraising, events fundraising, or supporter-led campaigns
• Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver campaigns to deadline
• High-performance mindset with confidence working to clear income targets and demonstrating Return on Investment (ROI)
• Proficiency with digital platforms and tools such as:Meta Ads, FundraiseUp and/or Raisely, Google Analytics.
• Comfort interpreting data and adjusting campaigns based on performance
• The ability to work independently in a fully remote environment
• Alignment with AWIP’s mission and comfort working in a justice-led organisation

Experience delivering virtual fundraising challenges or digitally driven campaigns is highly desirable.

Working pattern & flexibility

• 30 hours per week, fully flexible
• Fully remote (UK-based)
• Occasional evening or weekend work around campaign launches
• Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) provided for any additional hours worked during peak periods

Salary & benefits

• £27,000 FTE (pro-rata for 30 hours = £23,142.86)
• 8% employer pension contribution with NEST Pensions
• Private healthcare and dental insurance with Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Training and development opportunities
• Fully remote, flexible working environment

Contract details

• 1-year fixed-term contract
• Possibility of extension subject to performance and organisational needs

How to apply

Closing date: ASAP

Expected start date: January 2026
This role requires urgent placement and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The vacancy will close once a suitable candidate is appointed.

Please send:

• Your CV
• A covering letter explaining your relevant experience, values alignment, and interest in the role

Any applications without a covering letter will be not considered.